Consumer group warns against giving new snack to kids

A consumer advocacy group dedicated to health and nutrition is taking a stand against Cracker Jack’s new snack, Cracker Jack’D, which will contain the same amount of caffeine as a 12-ounce soda.

The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest calls out Cracker Jack’D, along with Kraft’s caffeinated MIO Energy and Jelly Belly’s caffeinated “Extreme Sports Beans” as heralds of “a new craze in which manufacturers add caffeine itself or coffee to more and more varieties of food and beverages,” the group said in a press release.

“The way things are going, I fear that we’ll see caffeine, or coffee, being added to ever-more improbable drinks and snacks, putting children, unsuspecting pregnant women and others at risk,” CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobsen said. “How soon before we have caffeinated burgers, burritos or breakfast cereals?”

Frito-Lay spokesman Chris Kuechenmeister told the Boston Globe that Cracker Jack’D is not for children. “Cracker Jack’D is a product line specifically developed for adult consumers and will not be marketed to children,” he said. “The package design and appearance are wholly different from Cracker Jack to ensure there is no confusion among consumers.”

A Kraft representative also told The Globe that MIO Energy is only marketed toward adults.